After averaging more than 16 points per game as a sophomore, DJ Campbell wasn’t sure what to expect when he returned to lead the Vineland High School boys’ basketball team this winter.

The 6-foot-3 point guard knew he would have more responsibility, on and off the court, and that scoring average would be tough to match, especially when opposing teams know you’re abilities.

However, Campbell has lived up to expectations and then some, averaging more than 20 points per game, including a season-high 41 against rival Millville Wednesday. He netted 24 against St. Augustine Monday.

“This year, I came to be a leader,” Campbell said. “We just wanted to come in and prove a point that we can be one of the best teams in the league”

Campbell has thrived thanks to an aggressive approach to shooting, but one that does come with discipline.

“I’m very impressed,” Vineland interim coach Will Baumgardner said about the sharpshooter. “He’s one of those guys where he can take a shot, and we’re on the sideline saying, ‘No, No, No.’ and then he hits it. We’re at the point now where we trust him, and he’s actually getting better, offensively, as the season goes on.”

The improvement has mostly come from the mental side of the game with better decision making and more maturity.

“His shot selection is getting better, he’s becoming more patient, he’s trusting in his teammates more,” Baumgardner said. “He stepped up his leadership. The thing we like the most about DJ is he wants to get better. He’s the first one in the gym, the last one to leave. He’s looking for extra reps. When we show him something he hasn’t seen before, he analyzes it and tries to add it to his game. He’s only going to get better.”

Campbell himself is sure to recognize those around him helping with his progression as well.

“My teammates just cheer me every play, in practice they’re pushing me,” Campbell said. “Then me, it’s being in the gym, working every night, staying after practice and stuff like that.”

And with another season to go, Campbell knows what he can improve to become an even better player.

“(I can work on) getting faster with my handle, being stronger, getting in the weight room,” Campbell said.

The coaching staff has shown improvement on how to best utilize Campbell and his skill set. His teammates are also learning to play with him in a way that’s best for the entire roster. As those relationships grow, there’s even higher point totals to be had, possibly.

“I think in the beginning of the season, we keyed in on him, and that’s when he took some forced shots, our offense became stagnant,” Baumgardner said. “The past five or six games, he’s trusting in his teammates, they’re trusting in him. He’s not forcing as much.”

Valuable lessons

St. Augustine is a program that has high expectations every season, and as the playoffs approach this year is no different.

That’s why matchups like the one against Eastern Saturday are so important for a Hermits' team that wants to be battle tested when the postseason arrives.

St. Augustine fell to the Vikings, 63-52, snapping a seven-game winning streak, but the players got a glimpse off the bigger picture.

“You always want to play good competition,” senior Marlon Hargis said. “We feel like we could have beaten them, but we didn’t play our best and they got the better of us that day.”

The Hermits will also face Trenton Catholic and Camden before the regular season ends, so there are more opportunities to prove themselves against top competition. That said, the Prep is sticking to the cliché of one game at a time.

“The goal is just to win every next game, we don’t want to concentrate too far ahead,” Hargis said following the Hermits’ 84-67 win over Vineland Monday. “We have Bridgeton on Thursday. We’ll try to take care of Bridgeton and then work from there.”

Breaking out

Millville’s Rynell Lawrence was held to single digits twice last week. But the senior busted out of the mini funk with a 17-point performance in a 74-51 win over Bridgeton Friday. He’s still averaging a gaudy 18.5 points per game.

Crusaders are rolling

Delsea extended its winning streak to five with victories over Schalick and Highland last week. The victories came by margins of 30 and 22 points, respectively.

The Crusaders' stingy defense was up to the task against the Cougars, holding them to just 37 points, matching a season-best for Delsea.